Question: Can an atheist be a Jew?
[Administrators note: similar questions exists on JVO at http://www.jewishvaluesonline.org/question.php?id=142, and http://www.jewishvaluesonline.org/question.php?id-48.]

Thank you for your question. Judaism is unique in that it is more than just a religion. Identifying as a Jew means to be a part of the Jewish people, and Peoplehood is separate from theological belief. When one is born as a Jew, one is born into the Jewish people, regardless of belief. One may feel connected to ritual, regardless of the meaning behind it, food, or family celebration. While I would argue that God is at the root of all that we do as Jews, that does not mean we must be set in our beliefs. The real question for me is not “if” a person can be Jewish without a belief in God, but rather “why” be Jewish if one does not believe in God?

Judaism is meant to bring us closer to the Divine nature of the world around us, remove the blinders from our eyes to appreciate the miracles of being alive and the sanctity of time, space, and inter-personal relationships. Judaism reminds us that we must be God’s messengers in this fractured were and do God’s holy work to fight for justice. Judaism also reminds us that there are things that do not make sense, that we cannot explain; at these times we turn to ritual, custom, tradition, and community.

We do not strive to simply “be”. We strive to live and living Jewishly means that God is very much present in our lives, even if we cannot grasp what our relationship with God is. If Judaism brings us closer to God, then “why be Jewish” if one doesn’t believe in God? While many atheists are adamant about not believing in God, I believe they are rejecting a theological belief they once learned. Judaism does not mean that one’s definition of God needs to be set in stone or that one needs to be clear what his or her relationship with God is all about. After all, being Jewish and identifying as a Jew means that we struggle with our relationship with God. Throughout the Torah, the Jewish people are referred as B’nai Yisrael, the Children of Israel. We are called this because we (and the tribes) descended from Israel, our patriarch Jacob. While throughout the reminder of Jacob’s life following his name change, he is still referred to in many places as Jacob. He even refers to himself as Jacob. Yet, it is remarkable that that the Jewish people are referred to as the Children of Israel and not the Children of Jacob. Israel, or Yisrael in Hebrew, means ‘he who wrestles with the Divine.’ Thus, as a part of B’nai Yisrael, we too are the children who wrestle with God. That is our goal as Jews. We do not try to simple talk to God. We wrestle. Wrestling is physical. Wrestling is intimate. Wrestling brings us closer to God and allows us to see the God that is already present.

While one can identify as an atheist and also identify as a Jew, I would encourage those who do so to not settle. God is not black and white and our relationship with God is not black and white either. If our beliefs do not need to be set in stone, then I would encourage that similarly, our lack of belief not be set in stone either. Be proud to be Jewish. Wrestle with God. Wrestle with yourself.

Question: Is there a value in continued interfaith dialogue with Christian institutions that organize boycotts of Israeli products and divestment from Israel. This seems to be a blatant act to try to deny Israel the right to defend against threats by terrorist organizations that seek Israel’s destruction.
[Administrator's note: This issue seems to have arisen again in recent news (June 2014) with the vote for divestment from companies doing business in Israel by the Presbyterian Church USA.]

The question of continued interfaith dialogue is an important question to ask. What are the goals of interfaith dialogue? What do we hope to gain from them? In order to properly answer this question, I believe that we need to distance the conversation of interfaith dialogue from anything that has to do with the BDS movement. The BDS movement is problematic to us as Zionists and supporters of the State of Israel. Still, that conversation doesn't belong in a conversation about belief. To converse in interfaith dialogue is to focus on areas of faith, theology, ritual, ethics, morals, and values, instead of views on policies towards Israel. Furthermore, even if we disagree with a person, or an institution, that does not mean we do not sit down at the table and dialogue with them. In fact, it is sometimes even more important for us to dialogue with those that we disagree with.

Traditional Jewish study of sacred text is done chevrutah-style, in which a pair learns together. Each partner in the chevrutah brings his or her own perspective. One gets a true understanding of the text when one is able to study it with someone who sees things differently then he or she does. Thus, having an interfaith dialogue, even if it is with someone who has a distinctly different perspective than our own, allows for us to strengthen our own understanding of our beliefs. Throughout Jewish history, the Jewish people have been excommunicated and ostracized from community after community, nation after nation. We lived in shtetls, forced to keep to ourselves. Now, we have an opportunity to learn from others and teach others. We have the opportunity too know the other and to know the other, is to truly know ourselves.

As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, of blessed memory, taught in his essay No Religion Is an Island:

"What then is the purpose of interreligious cooperation? It is neither to flatter nor to refute one another but to help one another, to share insight and learning, to cooperate in academic ventures on the highest scholarly level, and, what is even more important, to search in the wilderness for wellsprings of devotion, for treasures of stillness, for the power of love and care for man."

Interfaith dialogue allows for us to accept our differences and understand that, despite these differences, we are all made in the Divine image and can learn together and work together for the betterment of humankind. Therefore, interfaith dialogue shouldn’t be only limited to Jewish-Christian dialogue. It should include dialogue with Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Hindus, Mormons, and all those who identify with a faith that may be different than our own. Dialogue, despite disagreements, can lead to coexistence, acceptance, and peace. Regardless of what faith-based tradition one affiliates with, I think we can all agree on peace!

Question: About the Six Remembrances. Lots of discussion about the six themselves. But some history and context please. When does the very idea of "the six" enter Jewish theological, textual or liturgical history? Do the rabbis discuss why God nominated THESE six, and not six others? Please advise

Thank you for your thoughtful and interesting question. Before we understand why the six remembrances are said, let us clarify exactly what they are. The six remembrances are six different times in the Torah when the charge of remembering is put upon the Israelites. They are as follows:

Remembering the Exodus from Egypt (Deut. 16:3)

Remembering receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai (Deut. 4:9-10)

Remembering Amalek and Amalek’s attack on the innocent (Deut. 25:17-19)

Remembering the Golden Calf incident (Deut. 9:7)

Remembering Miriam (Deut. 24:9)

Remembering Shabbat (Exodus 20:8)

Notice that with the exception of the command to Remember the Sabbath day (which we find in the giving of the Ten Commandments, the Aseret HaDibrot,) the five other remembrances come from the book of Deuteronomy. This is important because modern scholars believe that the book of Deuteronomy was a late edition to the canonization of the Hebrew Bible (composed in Jerusalem in the 7th Century BCE, during the religious reformations of King Josiah.) Communal apathy, lack of observance, or change in belief was a threat to the theological, ideological, and ritual norms established in the Torah. It is then no surprise that the book of Devarim is filled with commands to remember – to ignite memories within ourselves about all that God has done for us, all that we have done (both positive and negative,) and all that tried to destroy us throughout our history.

The Kabbalists developed a custom to recite these six remembrances at the conclusion of the prayer service. The concept of reading these verses of Torah at the end of Tefillot connects us to our past and allows us to put the hardships of our present into perspective. Still, the recitation of these six remembrances is custom and there is much debate regarding this custom. There is no doubt that these six verses are prominent aspects of the narrative of the Torah. The debate of this custom comes from what role they play theologically, and as a result, liturgically. These events are an important mix of joy and celebration (the apex of celebration being God taking the Israelites out of Egypt) and pain and hardship (exemplified by the attack of Amalek on the innocent Israelite women, children, and elders as we traveled through the desert.) These six remembrances not only ensure that we are connected to our past. They also ensure that we remember the good and the bad, the miracles as well as the events that leave us questioning “why?” Remembering both allows us to connect to our past and make sense of the present.

Question: From a Jewish perspective, is there anything wrong with attending a Mardi Gras celebration? Administrators Note: For answers to a somewhat similar question regarding Halloween, see on the JVO website http://www.jewishvaluesonline.org/question.php?id=319].

Thank you for your thoughtful question. The roots of the Mardi Gras celebration and carnival comes from preparing for the Christian season of Lent. Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, takes place the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent, which takes place 46 days prior to Easter, is meant to serve as penitential preparation through prayer and self-denial, among other things. In preparation for Easter, Christians refrain from certain luxuries. For this reason, the Mardi Gras celebration prior to Lent is an indulgence in such luxuries. There is no doubt that this celebration is directly related to Christian ideology, making it inappropriate for a Jew to participate in such a celebration.

Living in a world full of a diverse spectrum of faiths, it is common for people of other faiths to attend celebrations, lifecycle events, and holidays of peers or loved ones from other faiths. This does not mean one is participating in the celebration. Rather, he or she is attending the event and supporting the loved one’s celebration of such an event. However, it would be troubling for a Jew to actively participate in such a celebration or ritual that emphasizes Christian ideology that contradicts Jewish beliefs.

I also recognize that many who celebrate Mardi Gras do so – much like Halloween or Valentine’s Day – not because of its religious roots, but instead because of it festive nature and societal acceptance. In fact, many Mardi Gras celebrations take place for several weeks and the term Mardi Gras refers to the endless partying rather than the day immediately prior to the beginning of the season of Lent.

What Mardi Gras has become in society though makes it all the more problematic to participate in such celebrations from a Jewish perspective. Mardi Gras has become an opportunity for parades, beads, costumes, and parties rather than celebrating the Christian Fat Tuesday. It has also become synonymous with public intoxication, public nudity, debauchery, and sexual promiscuity. Tzniut, modesty, is a core value of Jewish tradition. While various movements, denominations, and perspectives may interpret tzniut differently, I think we can all agree that there is nothing modest about exposing one’s nakedness for the sake of beads or trinkets. Furthermore, public pressure to participate in such

acts, either sober or while intoxicated, can very well be construed as sexual molestation and abuse! Judaism celebrates that each individual is made B’Tzelem Elohim, in God’s image. If so, we must treat our bodies with the respect that they deserve. Thus, participating in such immodest acts by both men and women – regardless of the Christian roots of the Mardi Gras celebration – is inappropriate.

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